Chris Billam-Smith and Ryan Rozicki went head-to-head for the first time at the Sky Sports studios on Tuesday.
Before their June 6 clash in Bournemouth, live on Sky Sports, they were filming the latest edition of The Gloves Are Off.
Rozicki was searching for weaknesses when they faced one another for the first time.
“When we’re staring down I just think about what I’m going to do to someone. I’m not trying to intimidate them,” Rozicki told Sky Sports.
“I’m just looking at them thinking about the facial structure and breaking the bones in the face or whatever.
“Scars will show what side he’s vulnerable on. You can see a lot, you can see where they can’t see punches coming from, things like that. That’s what it is for me.”
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Ryan Rozicki, who fights Chris Billam-Smith in June, explained why his biggest idol in the sport is 1920s legend Jack Dempsey.
Billam-Smith is a rugged fighter himself, just like Rozicki. But nicknamed the “Gentleman” for good reason, he generally remains placid until the first bell chimes.
“Some people like to come and play mind games and a lot of time it comes from their own insecurities,” Billam-Smith told Sky Sports. “If they start trash-talking I think it comes from them feeling like they’re missing something.
“I don’t need to do that and it doesn’t make a difference on fight night.”
Canada’s Rozicki, who will be fighting in the UK for the first time on June 6, is a ferocious puncher and 20 of his 21 professional victories have come inside the distance.
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Chris Billam-Smith insists a fight with Jai Opetaia ‘will definitely happen’ and says it’s a big factor in his decision to sign with Zuffa.
Their headline clash at the Bournemouth International Centre will be intense.
“I think it’s as brutal as I make it. I think I can win a number of ways. I think he can only win one way and that’s me being too reckless and drawn into too much of a fight and trying to out-punch him and let him do what he does,” Billam-Smith said. “At times I expect it to be a bit of a firefight.
“At times it will be brutal. It will have to be. Because he keeps coming and he’s a big puncher. But it’s different being in there with me than other people he’s been in with.”
Watch Chris Billam-Smith vs Ryan Rozicki on June 6 live on Sky Sports.
